SB 90

Generally, this bill changes ambulance staffing requirements and makes other

changes related to emergency medical personnel.

The bill allows an ambulance that is engaged in an nonemergent interfacility

transport to be staffed with one emergency medical technician and one individual

who has a certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Currently, an ambulance

may be staffed with any of the following: any two emergency medical services

practitioners, licensed registered nurses, licensed physician assistants or

physicians, or any combination of those individuals; one emergency medical services

practitioner plus one individual with an emergency medical services practitioner

training permit; or, for certain rural ambulance service providers, one emergency

medical technician and one emergency medical responder.

Current law allows a rural ambulance service provider to upgrade the service

level of an ambulance to the highest level of license of any emergency services

practitioner staffing that ambulance if approved by the medical director. The bill

prohibits the Department of Health Services from requiring the rural ambulance

service provider to stock an ambulance with equipment to perform all functions that

the emergency medical services practitioner with the highest level of license may

perform in order to upgrade its ambulance service level.

Under the bill, an ambulance service provider or emergency medical services

program may not prohibit an emergency medical responder or emergency medical

services practitioner who is employed by or volunteering with it from being employed

by or volunteering with another ambulance service provider or emergency medical

services program.